Post-op and NICU

I'll continue on my journey through my hospital stay.

When I woke up from surgery I was in post-op care.  And in PAIN!!!  I remember a really great nurse giving me dose after dose of pain killers until they got the pain under control.  I also remember being sick (yech!) The one doctor there said I would be getting fentynol for the pain - a drug I was told I am allergic to by a doctor 4 years ago.  Turns out, not allergic to fentynol!  Hurray!  I remember the pain getting better and asking to roll from my back (ouch! my incision is in the back of my head!) to my left side.  That's it for post-op...

NICU (Neurological ICU) I remember a little, but not much.  I know hubby came to see me a some point.  I remember my blood pressure cuff squeezing my left arm a lot. And my blood pressure was good for me.  I average low - 100/60.  I asked and got to eat ice chips - mmmmm.  I think hubby even fed them to me. And I remember discovering I had a HUGE swollen lip!  Turns out when they intibated me and flipped me to my stomach for the second surgery my lip got pinched.  And got cut inside my mouth.  And it was so swollen that even my left eye was puffed shut.  I couldn't talk because of it - more of a slur that wasn't drug induced!  I know the drugs were good - kept me comfortable at least. I had trouble figuring out what time of day / night it was and probably drove my nurse crazy asking what time it was.  I have a tendency to do that after surgery. I stayed overnight in the wonderful care of the NICU before being transferred to the ward on Wednesday.

14 days to go!

I was quite annoyed on Sunday.  During my soak in the tub I mentally composed what I thought was a great blog post.  After my bath I grabbed my MacBook and settled in to type it out.  Click publish post.... "blog server is currently performing maintenance.  Please try your post again later!" After I spent 45 minutes typing! And it deleted it.  I couldn't even go to the backup draft!  So, aggravated, I ignored my blog for a couple days and hope the server is up and running properly tonight when I press publish!

I was all set to write about last week.  It was a busy week. I've been more "ditzy" than normal (remember, natural blonde, not dyed) and I think it has a lot to do with the pressure in my head.  I feel like my head is really wobbly and heavy.  I have real balance issues when I bend over to pick up something or tie my shoes.  Even just sitting on the couch I feel like my head will bobble over at any time and I will land on the floor.  Plus my legs are numb lots.  It's unsettling.  Not pins and needles, but uncomfortable.  And with a wobbly head my stomach follows.  Yech.  I feel terrible quite often, but often it only lasts for 5 or 10 minutes.  But it's 5 or 10 times a day.  Like having a 5 minute flash of oh my gosh hot, stomach cramps, nausea followed by icy chills....  Surgery I hope will resolve some of this!! 

Thursday was our 4th wedding anniversary and 12th year together and I spent most of it in bed.  Now, get your mind out of the gutter..... When I woke up and looked at the clock in the kitchen there were 4 sets of numbers.  Not a very good idea to drive to work when you're seeing in quadruple!  But I wasn't in any pain.  So, back to bed, ice and Advil.... Woke up a little while later and it was worse and my head was ready to EXPLODE!! Definitely not going to make it to work in such a state so I call in again to say I wouldn't be in at all.  Often if my eyes go funny there is no pain and an hour or so later I'm fine.  Not this time.  And not the last few times.  Now the visual disturbances are accompanied by mind splitting PAIN!  Easily an 8 / 10 on Thursday.

I also had my pre-op appointment on Thursday.  All is well.  I'm never going to die of high blood pressure with my average of 100/60.  (normal is 120/80).  My doctor signed my health travel grant and my pre-admission forms.  Now once I'm back I will have to see him again to fill in my disability certificate for work.  He said he would remove my staples if I am back in Thunder Bay by that time.  I think I'll go to the walk-in though.  My doctor is in his 80's and doesn't have the steadiest hand!!  Don't want to hear any opp'ses (just how do you spell that?) when he's at the back of my just healing skull!

I could see when I got up on Friday but was still hurting.  But I had obligations I had to meet at work, so off to the office I went.  I had every intention of leaving after the morning meeting was over.... I got home at 5:15.  Yeah, once I'm there, it's hard to leave.

We're all set with travel and accommodations in Toronto.  My wonderful cousin has offered to pick us up from the airport and we'll have dinner together.  She is also giving us keys to their condo (just 4km from the hospital) so we have somewhere to stay once we run out of hotel on Friday morning.  With the G20 summit the week of my surgery it is insane trying to find somewhere to stay near the hospital for under $190 / night!  And my cousin and her husband are leaving the city before the summit to go to the cottage.  We're all set!  Toronto Western here I come!!

So I have 8 days left at work.  I'm not being given any new files.  I'm finishing up training my replacement and tidying up all of my filing, purging files, and making sure nothing is left to do.  Next week the department I work for is all going for lunch to "celebrate" my surgery.  Or mourn my departure!! My female boss is already missing me and I'm not gone yet!

[I just had to go back and remove the word so from the start of 3 out of the 4 paragraphs I used it to start.  Somebody sign me up for a writing class!]

With just 2 weeks until my surgery I have started to pack a little.  Things like my neck pillow, scarfs, baby shampoo and gravol (dramamine) are all ready to go.  Just deciding on what luggage to take.  I think we will pack in 1 suitcase so hubby only has to manage 1 on the trip home.  I'll take a travel bag with me for my stuff I'll need at the hospital.  Won't need much.  I'll barely have any hair so a tiny bottle of shampoo, tooth brush and paste, pyjamas, slippers and a box of peppermint tea.  I'll consult with the admissions clerk about my 101 things I can't eat, so we might have to find a little grocery store for a few snacks on Monday afternoon to bring to the hospital.  I'll probably stash baby cookies and 100 calorie packs in our luggage for the trip down too.

So, I can't remember a thing I was going to write Sunday, but I think I have updated all the same!!

98/60

That's my blood pressure.

And the Dr. says it's not that low.  He also said when he was screening young women entering the army in World War II....  WWII!! Yes, my Dr. is that old.  He said young women with low blood pressure would just pass out while waiting in line.  Comforting.  So feeling dizzy is just because of my low blood pressure.  His suggestion - salt.  Hmmm, not a great fix in my opinion.

But on a good note, he did approve my travel grant for hubby as my companion for my 2nd opinion visit at Toronto Western hospital on October 26.  Only 19 days to go!!

I've actually felt fairly well the last few days, some dizziness from the low bp, and the usual fatigue, but (touch wood!!!!) no headache.  The pressure at the back of my head is somewhat higher than average but it's not causing a headache right now.  Could be the rainy, cloudy weather. But it's been a couple good days, thankfully!! : )